Checklist: This is how you recognize corona fake news

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.

The coronavirus pandemic is terrifying people - and that is being exploited. Fake news is making the rounds. Some of them are deliberately scattered in order to further unsettle people.

Examples of false reports that are currently circulating are claims such as that there will soon be a general ban on work. It is also nonsense that drinking large amounts of (warm) water can help. Drinking the bleach chlorine dioxide can even be dangerous.

The "Germany Safe on the Net" (DsiN) initiative has put together a checklist that you can use to expose fake news. Incidentally, this does not only apply in times of Corona.

The top priority is always: be skeptical!

Who is behind the content?

The important thing is: who did the message come from? Is the sender reputable? For example, you can look at the profile of the distributor. You can often find out more about the author through search engines. If nothing can be found, that is of course also suspicious. In addition, a look at the imprint of websites can help with the assessment.

If the publisher is not trustworthy or if the authors or supposed experts who have their say are unknown or doubtful, there are some arguments in favor of a false report.

Are there credible sources?

Where the author gets the content of fake news from is often unknown. Instead, the disseminator refers to statements or reports that are nowhere to be found publicly. Sometimes it also helps to check the sources given. However, they can also make a good impression with fake news, but are then also "fake".

You can also find the origin of images using a reverse image search. For messages forwarded to you by friends or family, it's best to ask where they came from.

If the origin and origin of the information and images remain unclear, it is best to exercise caution and do not spread the word further.

Are the facts correct?

Cross-check the facts with known, trustworthy sources such as reputable media or authorities: If you can't find anything there with explosive news, you are probably wrong.

Who is interested in getting the word out?

Ask yourself: Why is the disseminator sending the message? Who will benefit from the report? Are there perhaps interest-driven political intentions or someone trying to sell you something?

Spongy or precise?

False reports are typically vague, incomplete, or incoherent information. Important details such as names and locations are mostly omitted. Formulations like “a doctor”, “an acquaintance from China” or “in a village” are warning signals.

Credible messages are usually given a date and sometimes a location. If there is no information, it could be fake news.

Sensational or factual?

Fake news can often be exposed using sensational expressions. Anyone who writes fake news tries to grab them emotionally! So try not to be influenced by this and to evaluate the news objectively.

Sloppy or correct?

Spelling, typing, grammatical errors? Occasionally they sneak in on texts of serious origin. But if they pile up, one can doubt the seriousness.

Stolen quotes?

A quotation always belongs in the context in which it was uttered. Stolen quotes can extremely distort the actual opinion. So look for the quote from other sources and check whether everything is correct.

Just keep going with a cool head!

The first reflex when it comes to supposedly spectacular news is often: forward or post immediately. Don't do it. Instead, take a deep breath and go through our tips. You should not forward or share possible fake news or information that appears suspicious to you!

Report fake news!

If you find a message suspicious, report it - for example, on the social media where you found it. In addition, inform people or institutions whose names have presumably been misused to generate false reports.

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